I’ve always
been able to identify with Lily and her wounds to understand her healing
process, to grasp the subtle and not-so-subtle psychological developments that
help her to reconstruct a self. What I didn’t feel enough, though, was empathy.

Putting
yourself in another person’s shoes isn’t just about imagining the body. We can
create little movies inside our minds as mirror neurons give us the ability to
imagine ourselves in someone else’s place.

Going deep
emotionally, though, is a skill set you can’t develop. The building blocks have
to be inherently in place. It’s like fast-twitch muscles that allow athletes to
go from great to Olympic level. You have it or you don’t. And if you don’t,
you’ll never develop it.

If you do,
it’s up to you to find a way to optimize it.

As we sit
here eating, I focus on the food. Never underestimate the power of
macronutrients in reestablishing stability and empathy, though there’s no
perfect ratio of protein to carbs to fats to give yourself an edge in that
department.

I’m sitting
here at the table, feeling all these feelings, when Lily taps my hand. She’s
freshly showered, her hair hanging in loose, wet waves around her face. Soaked
through, the strands of her hair hang longer than they do when dry, giving her
an even more wholesome look.

And
covering the scar in the back of her skull.

She smiles
at me. “You’re a million miles away.”

“No,
ma’am,” I tell her. “I’m right here, present and on duty.”

“Must have
a nice job if duty involves raclette.” She looks at the hot stone in front of
us with melted cheese and an assortment of meats and other foods.

Meli Raine
writes romantic suspense with hot bikers, intense undercover DEA agents, bad
boys turned good, and Special Ops heroes — and the women who love them. Meli
rode her first motorcycle when she was five years old, but she played in the
ocean long before that. She lives in New England with her family.